10. Jesus Lives

Most people know Jesus Christ as the Crucified, man of sufferings and humility.

However, one forgets something essential: he didn’t remain nailed on the cross, as he is often represented in many churches.

After he had given up his ghost, he was certainly buried.

But he had foreseen that on the third day he will rise from the dead.

”22 ... Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
23 And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again ...”

(Matthew 17.22,23)

This happened exactly the same.

The eyewitnesses relate about this. The apostle Paul says:

”3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins ...
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day ...
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once ...
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also ...”

(1 Corinthians 15.3-8)

The evangelist Luke testifies:

”3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God”

(Acts 1.3)

The disbelief, that is to say the incapability of believing of the apostle Thomas has already become proverbial.
When Jesus appeared to his disciples, this one hasn’t been present.
It is written about him:

”24 But Thomas, one of the twelve ... was not with them when Jesus came.
25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.
26 And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you.
27 Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.
28 And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.
29 Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.”

(John 20.24-29)

Furthermore, we put ourselves the following question: which is actually the state of Jesus after his resurrection?
Has he possibly died again?

This difficulty is instantly being removed by an assurance that is beyond all doubt:

”9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”

(Romans 6.9)

Many decades after his ascension, Jesus appeared to the apostle John, saying to him:

”17 ... I am ...
18 ... he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore ...”

(Revelation 1.17,18)

It cannot result but one single conclusion:
Jesus is at this very moment alive.

The knowledge and the certainty about this fact should have a decisive influence on the course of our life and at the same time a transforming effect.